Wiffleball tournament to remember graduate

Every summer since 2015, when Patrick Awosogba, a School of Arts & Sciences student at Rutgers University passed away, former East Brunswick High School classmate and baseball teammate Greg Sampson organizes a wiffleball tournament fundraiser to raise scholarship money for Patrick’s parents to present to a highly-deserving East Brunswick High School student. This year, the tournament will be held on Sunday, Aug. 5, at East Brunswick Baseball League, 367 Dunhams Corner Road. For ages 7 to 9, games will run from 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. with the cost $5 per player. There will be two age groups; young adult and adult. Three to four players are on a team with the cost of $10 per player. Check-in is from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Rules will be posted at the field. To volunteer as an umpire for the young adult division or sign up via email, message scholarshipforbj@gmail.com with team name, division and the number of players. If you cannot attend but would like to contribute, a check can be made payable to Patrick O. Awosogba Memorial Fund, c/o EBHS 380 Cranbury Road, East Brunswick, NJ 08816, or visit www.gofundme.com/gs-scholarship-in-honor-of-bj.

Young Performers Workshop.(Photo: ~Courtesy of Pat Lanciano)

Annual Festival of Shows

The Centenary Stage Company’s Young Performers Workshop returns to the Little Theater from Friday, Aug. 3, through Sunday, Aug. 12, with the annual Summer Festival of Shows. These thespians between the ages of 8 and 18 will present a variety of musical theater favorites and the One-Act Festival. The Young Performers Workshop is also seeking new and returning applicants for the 2018 Fall Session. Interviews will be held by appointment on Saturday, Aug. 11, and Sunday, Aug. 12. Call the box office directly to schedule an interview. Tickets for Centenary Stage Company’s Young Performer’s Workshop 2018 Summer Festival of Shows are $12.50; $10 for children younger than 12 and $5 for YPW Alumni. Tickets are available on-line at centenarystageco.org or by phone at 908-979-0900. For more information, a full schedule of YPW 2018 Summer Festival of Shows performances or to register for the 2018 Fall Session, visit centenarstageco.org or call the Centenary Stage Company box office at 908-979-0900. The Centenary Stage Company box office is in the Lackland Performing Arts Center on the campus of Centenary University at 715 Grand Ave., Hackettstown.

North River Historical Dancers to perform

The Proprietary House will host the North River Historical Dancers who will perform 18th century dances to live, authentic colonial music by Ridley and Anne Enslow. The event takes place from 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 4, at The Proprietary House, 149 Kearny Ave., Perth Amboy. Onlookers will be invited to join the dancers for a lesson in colonial dancing. Light refreshments will be served. Suggested donation, $5. Email: Info@theproprietaryhouse.org; call 732-826-5527.

'Our Town' auditions

Villagers Theatre will hold auditions for "Our Town" at 1 or 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 4, and 7 or 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 7, at Villagers Theatre, 475 DeMott Lane, Somerset section of Franklin Township. First rehearsal is 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 8. Performances are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays, from Friday, Sept. 14, through Friday, Sept. 21. For auditions, plan to attend one session listed above. You will be asked to read from portions of the script for multiple roles as well as participate in a few movement exercises. Email donna@villagerstheatre.com. All those auditioning must agree to and sign the Villagers Liability/Photo Release Form found at villagerstheatre.com/liability-photo-release-form.pdf.

Greyhound Meet & Greet booth

New Jersey Greyhound Adoption Program (NJGAP) will host a Meet & Greet booth at the Flemington Corn, Tomato, & Beer Festival on Stangl Road, Flemington, from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 4. Adoptable greyhound Cy, a 4-year-old red brindle male, should be there for potential adopters to meet from noon to 2 p.m. Check NJGAP out on Facebook for photos and bios of available dogs for adoption at www.facebook.com/NJGAP. Prospective adopters should email NJGAP at njgap@hotmail.com to request a .pdf pre-adoption application. NJGAP's hotline is 908-713-9344.

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Church leaders, congregants, and construction project managers from Fenton Construction gather for the official groundbreaking ceremony of the new Pentecostal Council Church of God facility. Pictured from left to right (with shovels): Rev. Bernardo Mendez (co-pastor), Michael J. Mulcahy (president & CEO of Fenton Construction), and Rev. Luis A. Gonzalez (lead pastor). ~Courtesy of Fenton Construction Co., Inc.

A free Household Hazardous Waste recycling event will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 4, at the Union County Vocational-Technical Schools campus, 1776 Raritan Road in Scotch Plains. ~Courtesy of County of Union

"Xtreme Adventure: Rock Climb" will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 1, at The Somerset County Park Commission Environmental Education Center, 190 Lord Stirling Road in the Basking Ridge section of Bernards. ~Courtesy of Somerset County Park Commission

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is encouraging all residents to continue to participate in countywide scrap metal recycling initiatives that will be held throughout the rest of the summer. ~Courtesy of County of Union

North Brunswick Mayor Francis “Mac” Womack, Township Council President Bob Davis, Parks, Recreation & Community Services Director Lou Ann Benson and members of the North Brunswick Humane Association celebrate the opening of the Township Pet Memorial Garden at Community Park on Wednesday, July 18. ~Courtesy of Township of New Brunswick

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Sensory friendly movie at AMC

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders invites Union County residents with special needs, and their families and caregivers, to a sensory friendly screening of the hit animated feature "Hotel Transylvania 3" at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 4, at the AMC Loews Jersey Gardens Theatre in Elizabeth. During this special sensory friendly screening, the AMC “silence is golden” policy is not in effect. Audience members are welcome to leave their seats, walk around, dance, shout, sing along, and enjoy the movie in their own way. Lighting and sound are also adjusted to create a more supportive atmosphere for people with sensory sensitivities. Union County residents wishing to purchase tickets for this event may do so online through the Union County Office for People with Special Needs at http://ucnj.org/departments/human-services/office-for-people-with-special-needs/. Tickets are available online only through the Office for People with Special Needs. Tickets are $5 per person and include a food voucher. To order tickets visit ucnj.org/opsn-reg. For more information about all programs and events organized through the Office for People with Special Needs, visit online at ucnj.org or call 908-527-4781.

Free recycling event on Aug. 4

Union County residents can safely dispose of unwanted household chemicals and other designated household items, from old mercury thermostats to automobile tires, by bringing these items to the next free Household Hazardous Waste recycling event from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 4, at the Union County Vocational-Technical Schools campus, 1776 Raritan Road in Scotch Plains. Residents only need to drive to the site with their household special wastes and workers at the site will unload the vehicles.The Union County Police Bomb Squad will also be on hand to collect unwanted ammunition and fireworks from residents. The event continues Union County’s “Mercury Bounty” take back program through a partnership with the company Covanta. Covanta provides a $5.00 Home Depot gift card to any resident who turns in a mercury-containing thermostat. The household hazardous waste collection will be held rain or shine for all Union County residents only, not for businesses. Proof of Union County residency is required. For more information, call the Recycling Hotline at 908-654-9889. For a complete list of the materials that will be accepted on Saturday, Aug. 4, as well as all recycling event dates and locations, visit ucnj.org/recycle.

Food Trucks Fest on Aug. 5

The Somerset County Park Commission Free Summer Concert Series at Duke Island Park on Old York Road in Bridgewater will conclude the 2018 season on Sunday, Aug. 5, with the country rock of Kinderhook and a classic Carole King tribute. The concert is scheduled from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., with the food trucks open throughout the performances. Concert sponsorship is provided by The Courier News and NJ State Council on the Arts. Bring chairs and blankets. For further information on the concerts, call 908-722-1200. Individuals with hearing/speech impairments may call the Relay Service at 711. Over the weekends, in case of threat of inclement weather please call 908 722-1200, ext. 5351. Visit www.somersetcountyparks.org.

“You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” is playing every night at 8 p.m. through Saturday, Aug. 11 (no performance Sunday, Aug. 5) at the Stephen J. Capestro Amphitheater, Middlesex County’s Roosevelt Park, Edison.(Photo: ~Courtesy of Plays in the Park)

'You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown'

The Peanuts gang is back, and they’re coming to life right here in Roosevelt Park! Join Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and their friends for the family musical “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” the third production of the 2018 season of Plays-in-the-Park. The show opened Wednesday, Aug. 1, and plays every night at 8 p.m. through Saturday, Aug. 11 (No performance Sunday, Aug. 5), at the Stephen J. Capestro Amphitheater, Roosevelt Park in Edison. Tickets for shows can be purchased only on the nights of performances. The box office opens at 5:30 p.m. on show nights and closes at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $7; $5 for seniors (60-plus). Ages 12 and younger are admitted for free. The Middlesex County Freeholders offers complimentary admission to the summer musicals to active U.S. Military Service members and their immediate families. Proper ID is required when picking up tickets. Complimentary tickets also are available for veterans and a guest on the Monday and Tuesday performances of each show. Call the Parks Office at 732-745-3900 for more information.Audience members must provide their own seating. All chair backs must not exceed 40 inches high. Visit www.middlesexcountynj.gov and search Plays-in-the-Park for more information about the box office and seating. If a performance is cancelled due to inclement weather, you may save your ticket and use it to attend any other summer PIP performance at no additional charge. Ticket stubs are valid for an outdoor summer show for up to one year after the cancelled performance.

'Lizzie Borden' to appear at library

The Old Bridge Public Library will examine the famous case of Lizzie Borden as it presents “The Bizarre Case of Lizzie Borden” about the Sunday school teacher and early suffragette at 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 5. In 1892, Borden was accused and acquitted in the brutal ax murders of her father and step-mother. As part of the Notorious Women of History program, Professional Speaker and Living History Reenactor Kate Butler inhabits the role of Borden. The Old Bridge Public Library is at 1 Old Bridge Plaza at the corner of Route 516 and Cottrell Road in the Municipal Center. Visit www.oldbridgelibrary.org or call 732-721-5600, ext. 5033.

"Sense & Scents-Ability: PresHerbvastion — Gathering Summer’s Bounty for All of Your Senses" is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 4, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.,at the Colonial Park Fragrance and Sensory Garden in the Somerset section of Franklin Township.(Photo: ~Courtesy of Somerset County Park Commission)

'Sense & Scents-Ability' on Aug. 4

The Somerset County Park Commission Colonial Park Garden staff welcome visitors to an event from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 4, in the Colonial Park Fragrance & Sensory Garden, at the western portion of the Rudolf W. van der Goot Rose Garden, in the Somerset section of Franklin Township. Visitors enjoy a tour of the garden at 11 a.m., led by Colonial Park Gardens staff. At noon, Lesley Parness, gardening educator, will demonstrate ways to capture and enjoy the taste, feel, and scent of fragrant herbs. Participants will learn how to make herbal vinegars, sugars, and salts from the garden to the kitchen table and watch as simple facial tonics, herbal spirits, and a refreshing foot bath are created. Admission is free; donations appreciated. Call 908-722-1200, ext. 5721 or visit www.somersetcountyparks.org.

Music in the Park Concert Series

North Brunswick’s Music in the Park Concert Series will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 8, 15 and 22, at Babbage Park. Free; food available for purchase. The concert lineup will include: Valarie Adams & the Dimension Band, Wednesday, Aug. 8; ReUnited, Wednesday, Aug. 15; and Route 80’s, Wednesday, Aug. 22. Elizabeth Fackelman, a music teacher at Livingston Park Elementary School, will perform prior to each band. In case of rain, shows will be moved to the Linwood Middle School Cafetorium, 25 Linwood Place. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets. For more information, contact 732-247-0922, ext. 475, events@northbrunswicknj.gov or visit www.northbrunswicknj.gov.